Playing With Sparks
by TaraRae89
Summary: Amidst the Victory Tour we find Katniss in a whirl wind of emotions b/c she has let go of her denial that Gale is just her best friend. Awkwardly forced to profess in front of all of Panem she tells him while everyone else none the wiser. K/G oneshot


A/N: This is my first published work. I edited it myself but would love to hear if I royally screwed up anything. I suppose this is technically a song fic but please don't run. Look there are paragraphs and a plot and dialogue that isn't in lyric format. I would highly recommend a listen to Taylor Swift's Sparks Fly if you haven't heard it already but even if you don't care to listen you might enjoy this one shot.

And what fanfiction isn't complete without a…

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. I also do not own Taylor Swift's Sparks Fly.

Playing with Sparks

Because of nightlock my future with Peeta had been sealed. I hated it. Especially now that my heart ached for Gale. Sometime between catching dinner and catching fire my feelings for him had developed. I could almost smell him in the forest on a bright October morning when I closed my eyes. He had a nice smell of oak and hickory smoke.

I might hate my feelings but I couldn't reject them when I got home. My family had been well taken care of in my absence. Gale had consistently brought over meat, herbs, and berries. Prim told me he even traded at the Hob for her to have new socks when the old ones finally ripped beyond repair. She also said he had come over every night to make sure they were okay.

Then he kissed me in the woods that Sunday and every tender feeling I had tried to beat away clung to me like honey. That incident ignited my imagination and a song formed in my head about us.

This is the song that Effie caught me singing and mistakenly inferred it was for Peeta. She told everyone I had wrote a song about Peeta and that is how the mess started. Then everyone wanted to hear it and I plainly refused. Somehow President Snow heard about this and thought it would be a great opportunity to assure people that it was love and desire to incite rebellion that prompted the infamous act of defiance.

Two days before the big performance was slated I sat with Cinna sulking.

"Everyone thinks my song is about Peeta and it clearly is not. What am I going to do?" I confided in him.

Cinna looked perplexed. "If the song is not for young Peeta then who is it intended for?"

I had never admitted it out loud but Cinna was trust worthy. I whispered, "Gale."

"The striking cousin from the Seam?"

"He isn't my cousin," I mumbled under my breath.

Cinna patted my arm. "Is there anything in the song that would make it not about Peeta?"

"Yes," I answered swiftly. "The most obvious thing is his eyes. However, anyone that knows Peeta could probably figure it out."

Cinna pondered this for a moment. "Write a song for Peeta."

I paced up and down the room. I wailed, "I can't. I tried."

"Would it be okay if I heard the tune? Perhaps we could rework it," Cinna offered.

I sang for Cinna, his troubled frown the whole time did not encourage me.

"This is a challenge but I think it can be done."

I pulled my knees to my chin. "I know my fate is bound to Peeta but I really wanted this one thing to be for Gale. To let him know how much he means to me. I'm even going to ruin this one thing."

Cinna's brown eyes lit up. He lips curled into a cunning smile. "Maybe not. We can just make it vaguer. We won't trash the sincerity but dear Gale will know it is meant for him and no one else."

In the end Cinna coached me on the performance. We changed a like from 'kiss me in the forest' to 'kiss me on the sidewalk' but that was the most major change. Cinna truly revealed his brilliance once again. Then he had me pen a letter to Gale.

Dear Gale,

Please keep Prim safe. Don't let her cry too much. I think a boy at school has been picking on her but she won't tell me who. If you find out who it is, tell me or take care of it yourself. You are good with that kind of thing.

I wish you accept my help even though I only have money to offer at the moment. Think of how it would benefit the kids. Don't hesitate if you need anything to ask my mother. She can give you what you need.

This whole ordeal has me thinking about the important things in life. Especially people. People that always have your back and people that you can trust with anything. Like you. These important people are the people that you want to have around when the sparks fly and when life is easy.

The other day Effie walked in on me doing something rather embarrassing. I was singing this song I wrote. Long story short now that I have "a real talent" I will be performing in the capitol for all of Panem my very own original song. Because I refused to write another song I will also be performing a selection requested by President Snow.

I hope everything will be cleared up soon.

Katniss

I was certain that even if someone intercepted my letter they would think nothing of it. It was vague enough, not even Gale would know what it was really about until that night away.

To avoid suspicion also penned a letter to my mother, Prim, and Madge. All were very brief but held the information about my new talent.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen of Panem! Welcome to the finale of the Victory Tour! We hope that you all enjoyed the fascinating paintings out dear Peeta has created. Those were some real works of genius. Now our lovely victor Katniss is here to perform two special songs for you tonight. One song she wrote from her heart and the other is just one of her favorites that she would love to share with you," Caesar introduced me. Peeta thankfully had already displayed his talent in a pre recorded tour of a gallery. I had the misfortune of performing live. "It will be up to you to decide which song she wrote and which one is an old favorite forgotten in time."

The crowd in front of me roared as I joined Caesar on stage. Cinna had done a wonderful job as usual transforming me into a new creature. My dress shimmered brightly as a cascade of sparks filled the air around me. A band started playing behind me mostly in the shadows.

I closed my eyes and began, "The way you move is like a full on rainstorm and I'm a house of cards. You're the kind of reckless that should send me running but I kinda know that I won't get far."

The fake gust flared my dress and I looked right into the camera. I wasn't going to make eye contact with anyone or anything but the cameras around me. Besides, I was too afraid to even peak at Peeta in the front row. I didn't want to see his disappointment.

"And you stood there in front of me just close enough to touch. Close enough to hope you couldn't see what I was thinking of," I continued on. Immediately this made the memory of our first kiss flash through my mind as it did every time I uttered those words.

"Drop everything now. Meet me in the pouring rain. Kiss me on the sidewalk. Take away the pain. Cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile." This was my plea to Gale to love me and to keep me close. I hope he heard me.

"Hit me with those gray eyes, baby," I turned my head away from the mic to give the audience a view of my profile just as Cinna told me. No one would be able to make out exactly what I said. "As the lights go down. Give me something that'll haunt me when you're not around. Cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile."

"My mind forgets to remind me you're a bad idea. You touch me once and it's really something. You find I'm even better than you imagined I would be." I looked directly back at the camera giving them my best smile.

"I'm on my guard for the rest of the world, but with you, I know it's no good." Vivid images of Gale and I setting snares and sharing secrets pass through my mind.

"And I could wait patiently but I really wish you would drop everything now. Meet me in the pouring rain. Kiss me on the sidewalk. Take away the pain. Cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile," I repeated passionately. Then I didn't turn my head away from the mic. Gale would know without a doubt. "Get me with those gray eyes baby as the lights go down. Give me something that'll haunt me when you're not around cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile."

In the final verse I shared my fantasy with all of Panem but in my mind I was only sharing it with one soul. "I'll run my fingers through your hair and watch the lights go wild. Just keep on keeping your eyes on me. It's just strong enough to make it feel right.  
>Lead me up the staircase, won't you whisper soft and slow? I'm captivated by you baby like a fireworks show."<p>

Behind me lights and smoke poured over the stage. Pops of color exploded just over my head.

"Drop everything now. Meet me in the pouring rain. Kiss me on the sidewalk. Take away the pain cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile," I finished with a big smile and waited for the song to begin.

Far away in District 12 sitting with his eyes wide open and his mouth slightly ajar Gale sat stunned. As soon as Katniss sang her last note he bolted up from his family's living room and rushed into the cool night air. He clutched in his pocket a carefully folded letter from Katniss. The moon was bright that night so he yanked it open and re read it. It did mention sparks flying but he didn't realize it was those kinds of sparks. He assumed it was referring to being loyal when the world seemed out to tear you down. Not the passionate sparks of two people in love.

Each lyric had burned in his mind and he spent the rest of the night analyzing it. She had never broke eye contact with the camera to look at Peeta even though they showed a pan view of him in the front row. Gray eyes Peeta did not have, nor had he been named after rainstorms. He recalled her reaching out and grasping his shirt the first time they kissed. They weren't close enough to embrace, just to touch. Goosebumps ran down his back. He didn't need to hear the other song; he knew this one was from her heart.

A slight blush reached his cheeks. She had written that song with him in mind. He just knew it.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed. Just like everyone else I would love it if you reviewed.


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